OLA Sisters turning ecological commitment into action in Africa

Sr. Francisca Aframea, OLA – Rome

Two experiences in Togo and Ghana show how this ecological commitment is becoming a lived reality.

Togo: Giving new life to the land

At the OLA Postulancy in Agou, Togo, the care of creation begins with the soil. Sisters and those in formation work together in the fields, cultivating the land and learning that caring for creation can be an ordinary, shared responsibility.

This practical approach is also visible in Sokodé, where the Sisters are involved in vegetable gardening and the preparation of nurseries. The work begins with preparing the soil for planting and caring for young plants until they are ready to grow.

The activities go beyond food production. The Sisters combine tree planting, gardens and small-scale poultry keeping in their schools, dispensaries, reception centres and communities. They see these simple initiatives as a way of “giving life back to the earth” in places where communities are experiencing increasing heat, flooding and soil degradation.

What makes the initiative particularly significant is its communal character. Sisters are joined by workers, students, parents, Christians and other collaborators. The beneficiaries include the Sisters themselves, employees, students and people living in the surrounding communities. Through this shared work, ecological responsibility becomes something learned and practised together.

The gardens also provide a practical response to everyday needs. Local and organic production can reduce dependence on purchases, contribute to food security and encourage responsible use of the soil. For the Sisters, seeing the crops grow, sharing the produce and eating food grown locally are sources of genuine joy.

Our Lady of Apostles and commitment to ecology

Ghana: Standing with communities affected by galamsey

In Ghana, the ecological challenge takes a different and particularly painful form. Illegal gold mining, commonly known as galamsey, has devastated forests and polluted rivers, threatening agriculture, health, biodiversity and the future of communities that depend on the land and water. The OLA Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Commission in Ghana has therefore made the response to galamsey a priority mission.

Led by Sr. Dorcas Obeng, the OLA JPIC Commission is working in communities including Bepoase and Attronie, where its response combines environmental education, community outreach, advocacy and reforestation.

Here, a tree is more than a tree. It becomes a sign of restoration and hope. Through tree-planting programmes, the Sisters are helping restore degraded environments while engaging school children in the work of protecting creation. The children are not simply taught about the environment; they are being formed as future guardians and ambassadors of creation.

The mission also reaches people whose lives have been directly affected by environmental destruction: women and children facing contaminated water and food insecurity, farmers whose fertile land has been damaged, and communities exposed to pollution. In this context, environmental care becomes inseparable from concern for health, livelihoods and human dignity.

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Sr. Dorcas and the JPIC team do not work alone. Their efforts are strengthened by collaboration with religious congregations, the local Catholic Church, government institutions, environmental organisations and civil society. Together, they advocate for environmental justice and the protection of Ghana’s natural heritage.

The experiences of Togo and Ghana reveal two different responses to the same call: to care for our common home while caring for the people who depend on it.